The Truth About “Natural” Face & Body Wash: What’s Actually Clean, and What’s Fake?

At Skincarebrief, we dig deeper. If it’s not made with truly natural, recognizable ingredients—and if you wouldn’t put it in your mouth—it probably doesn’t belong on your skin.

This post cuts through the noise. We reviewed ingredients line by line to find the best truly natural face and body washes available on Amazon—and we’re calling out the fakes too.

What Makes a Face or Body Wash Truly Natural?

To qualify as truly natural, a product must:

• Contain no synthetic surfactants (like SLS, SLES, cocamidopropyl betaine, etc.)

• Use only whole plant- or animal-based ingredients (e.g., oils, clays, essential oils, raw milk, tallow, etc.)

• Avoid synthetic preservatives (no phenoxyethanol, parabens, EDTA)

• Be fragrance-free or scented only with essential oils

• No “naturally derived” lab ingredients like decyl glucoside or polysorbates

Top 100% Natural Face & Body Washes on Amazon

These are the cleanest, simplest, and safest options available globally via Amazon. No chemicals. No marketing tricks. Just real ingredients.

Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap (Baby Unscented)

• Why it’s legit: Made with organic coconut, olive, hemp, and jojoba oils. No preservatives, no fragrance, no foaming agents. Just old-school castile soap made by saponifying oils.

• Bonus: Versatile—use as body wash, face cleanser, even hand soap.

• Ingredients: Water, organic coconut oil, potassium hydroxide (used during soap-making), organic olive oil, organic hemp oil, organic jojoba oil.

Truly natural
Fragrance-free
Preservative-free

Aleavia Enzymatic Body Cleanse (Unscented)

• Why it’s legit: A minimalist blend of aloe vera, coconut oil, and plant enzymes that feed your skin’s microbiome. No sulfates, preservatives, or fake scents.

• Ingredients: Coconut oil, aloe vera, Acadian sea kelp, plant glycerin, citric acid (naturally derived), live enzymes.

Microbiome-friendly
Zero synthetics
Gentle enough for eczema or acne-prone skin

Bliss of Earth African Black Soap

• Why it’s legit: Traditional recipe using plantain ash, cocoa pods, shea butter, coconut oil. No added chemicals, dyes, or foaming agents.

• Use: Can be used as both face and body soap. May be too strong for sensitive skin.

Raw and handmade
Detoxifying and antibacterial
Zero preservatives

O Naturals Organic Goat Milk Soap Bars

• Why it’s legit: Goat milk is packed with natural fatty acids and lactic acid, making this bar moisturizing and exfoliating. No chemicals or artificial fragrance.

• Scent Options: Unscented or essential-oil only blends (like rosemary, mint, lavender).

Moisturizing
Zero synthetic fragrance
Handcrafted

The Most “Greenwashed” Products on Amazon

These are bestsellers with “natural” branding that fall apart on inspection.

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash

• Why not: Contains Sodium Laureth Sulfate, fragrance, and methylparaben. Marketed with oats, but chemically preserved and fragranced.

CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser

• Why not: Includes synthetic surfactants, carbomer, phenoxyethanol, and ethylhexylglycerin. Lab-made, not nature-based.

Everyone for Every Body Soap

• Why not: Includes decyl glucoside, a synthetic surfactant often passed off as “natural.” Uses fragrance blends too.

Final Thoughts

Most “natural” products aren’t natural at all. If it has a paragraph-long ingredient list with names you can’t pronounce—it’s not clean skincare.

Stick to time-tested, simple formulas made from oils, clays, milk, and plants. You’ll avoid irritation, support your skin microbiome, and stop paying for fake marketing.

🛒 Want to shop clean?
We’ve listed only Amazon-available products so you can order easily and support the mission of truly clean skincare.

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